Chapter Text
Furina de Fontaine had done the impossible: She had fooled the entire world.
Against all odds, she had convinced the entirety of Fontaine that she was their archon. She spoke of her “unimaginable powers” by day, whilst garnering inspiration from fantasy novels well into the night. And despite wanting nothing more than to crawl into obscurity, she stood in the spotlight at the opera house.
The bolder and louder she became, the less she was like herself. Yet the more eccentric she acted, the more they believed her lies. They wanted a spectacle to gawk at, and she had to give them just that.
How long she’d have to act this way was the real question. Yet if there was anything her mirror self had insisted upon, it was that acting was her only hope of saving her beloved nation. She could only hope the drama would end soon enough.
Soon. It would surely be soon. After all, most plays are only a few hours long. How much longer could she possibly have to wait?
“Welcome, Lady Furina… our new Hydro Archon,” the front door guard said with a bow as she approached him.
Furina covered one of her blushing cheeks and quickly pulled him from his pose. “Ah… Rise, my dear subject! You have done well with paying your respects,” she said.
As embarrassed as she was by the display, she would have to grow accustomed to such deference. After all, she had to act like a god. Similarly, her residence needed to match one just as well.
The Palais Mermonia was a large, grand palace with seven floors, with silver-gray bricks, and arched roofs made out of smooth, teal tiles. The tinted windows were so spotless that Furina could hardly think about touching them– it would have been a shame for her to ruin perfection.
The golden doors opened, revealing a horde of maids rolling out a blue carpet across the hall.
“Welcome, Miss Furina!” they cried out with joy.
“Oh, th-thank you!” Furina said. She sauntered past the maid dusting the elegant painting of a lake on the wall and tiptoed past the glass vase that was carefully centered on its table. Yet just when she thought she was in the clear, she slammed into a butler, spilling coffee on her navy blue blouse. Furina yelped, prompting one of the maids to rush to her side with a handkerchief.
The butler placed his tray on the table and fell to his knees. “Oh my–Lady Furina! Please forgive me!” he said with tears in his eyes. “I have committed a grave mistake!”
“Oh! Please don’t worry about it,” Furina said quickly. “It was an accident!”
He looked at her with surprise. The whispers behind her began at once.
“ What a kind god! ”
“ But is she really a god? I mean, look at her. Someone with so much power, being pushed around by others so easily? ”
“ Yeah, you’re right. Maybe she is just a fake. ”
Furina jumped and straightened herself. She scoffed quickly. “It was an accident… is what I would say if I were any other human! Did you think you could just toss me about? Foolish!” she said, with a pang of regret deep in her heart. “I will let you off this time, but I must remind you that I am your archon. If you wish to have my favor, you must try harder.”
The maids nodded in agreement. And even the butler seemed more satisfied with this response, as he quickly ran back to the kitchen to present her some hors d'oeuvres.
Furina sighed with relief. Even in her own home, she would have to keep up the act. “Very well, then,” she said, steeling herself to speak with authority. “Well then? Show me the kitchen. If I am to live here, show me the very best you have to offer. I trust that you have refreshments catered to my taste?”
The maid quickly nodded and guided her to the kitchen. “Yes, ma’am! We have some pain au chocolat in the pantry, made especially for you.”
Furina hid her awe of the golden utensils behind an air of nonchalance. “I trust that these are made of authentic gold? I will not take anything cheap, you know!”
The maids happily offered her the best of everything: the best hors d’oeuvres, the best furniture, and even the best clothes.
Just overnight, she went from a dark, humble dress to something far greater. She had light colors popping out of the sleek, navy blue clothes she wore, sparkly frills and golden ornaments decorating her person, and a grand top hat that was decorated with gold and jewels just like a crown. To match her heterochromatic eyes, she had two differently colored gloves: one black, and one white, which she saw as not just a tasteful choice, but just enough of an eccentricity to keep the populace interested in her persona.
She greeted her escort at the door– a dashing gentleman in uniform. He gallantly offered his arm. He felt sturdy, and reliable in a way she couldn’t help but long for. “Lady Furina, may I say you look radiant this morning?”
She giggled and gladly took his arm. “Well then, you, Sir, have an eye for good taste.”
He grinned. “Not as much as you, I’m afraid,” he said. “But I really try my best!”
“Stop!” she laughed. “May I ask what’s on my agenda today? I am unfamiliar with my predecessor’s schedule.”
“Well, you are the new Chief Justice, so you’ll be judging the court cases in Fontaine,” he said, quickly adding with a wink. “... Although, I do hope you’ll make some time in your busy schedule for me. Perhaps a cup of tea?”
For a moment, she could’ve sworn that he winked at her. Overcome with a new emotion she couldn’t fully make out, she avoided his gaze with a shy smile, her heart racing as she squeezed his arm.
“V-very well! If you think you are worthy of the Hydro Archon’s time, let us see what you can do,” she said in a higher-pitched voice. “A private tea party, today at 8 PM. Don’t be late.”
The man stared at her speechlessly. His gaze darted to the floor before he shyly offered her another glance. Finally, a smile spread on his face. “Th-that would do. Very much.”
As she walked with him towards the door, she couldn’t help but consider the upsides of acting as an archon. After all, she earned the best praise and a life of luxury. Would it be so absurd for her to find someone special who could spend all of her days with her?
She fantasized about this future, thinking of the joyful memories she could share with someone whenever her work settled down–perhaps a romantic boat ride was in order, along with a celebration.
Opening the door quickly brought her back to reality. Several voices rang in her ear as people shoved each other to get a glimpse of the new celebrity. The man swiftly guided her to the opera house.
“Miss Furina! An autograph, please!” one man cried out. “My daughter is a fan of yours!”
“Oh! Yes!” Furina called back, stopping and hesitantly accepting the sharp quill shoved into her hands. “Miss Furina! Over here!”
“That’s enough, now!” the escort called, tugging her alone. “No more questions.”
“Furina, are you truly the Hydro archon? How can we be sure?”
“Furina? Furina!”
Somehow, the hardest part was what came next. Expected to be the pinnacle of justice, she entered the Opera Epiclese– not as a spectator, but as its judge.
The stage was grand, with bright lighting, velvet seats, and a throne set up just above the stage. By it, she saw a small note which captured her interest.
Hello, Me.
Congratulations on finding the Opera Epiclese.
Acting as the Chief Justice of Fontaine is a daunting challenge indeed, but fear not. You shall have another Chief Justice very shortly.
In three days, you will be greeted by a gentleman outside the Palais Mermonia.
Be sure to greet and treat him well– he will be your greatest asset.
Stick to the plan, my dearest Furina, and all will be well.
Furina was taken aback by the note. Although she had only seen a “Mirror Me” in the mirror, she couldn’t help but be curious as to whether they had stepped foot in this world. It seemed that she had everything planned out accordingly. If what her mirror self had to say was true, then all she had to do was act the part.
She braced herself and sat in the judge’s seat, which was just above the scale she had found.
The case was a simple one: A shoplifter.
Surprisingly, the stage filled with many who were unrelated to the case. But as the case’s judge, Furina sought to remain strong and play her part with solemnity.
“Okay, then!” she announced. “We are gathered today to discuss the case of Monsieur Valeur, who is accused of shoplifting Madame Rainier’s boutique. Let’s begin with our opening statement, shall we?”
Someone in the audience yawned.
The case proceeded as planned. Both the prosecution and the defense entered the court, and Furina laid out the general facts of the case. The decision seemed straightforward, and yet it was the people leaving that troubled Furina the most.
“Order, order!” she called out, slamming her cane against the ground. “My dear audience! The trial has not ended yet!”
“Does it need to?” the audience member called back. “We didn’t come here to watch the trial, Hydro Archon! We came to watch you. Wasn’t this supposed to be an opera?”
“Well– As the God of Justice, I have to make a fair and just decision,” she said.
“Then make it,” a woman said. “I don’t see how that makes you different from any other judge.”
Think, Furina. Think.
She had to judge fairly, but she needed to entertain. Where was the balance?
“Psst!” her escort whispered from the backstage. “Lady Furina! Why not… you know, spice it up a little?”
“I er, intend to…” she hissed back at him. “Alas, this is a courtroom and this is not a major case.”
“I mean, there’s gotta be a way, right? Why else would tour guides exist, if not to entertain,” he said. “I’m sure anything is only as interesting as you make it.”
Furina contemplated this. Perhaps there was a way to raise the stakes, even if for just a moment.
“Well then!” she said. “So that’s it, right, my dear people? You thought this would be a simple court case, but you thought wrong! After all, did you think that such a minor court case could be brought to my attention?”
The people stopped in their tracks and stared at her with curiosity.
“Well then. Do prepare yourselves! Madame Rainier has suffered a great loss today: after working so hard to produce her items, someone may have stolen them right under her nose without the proper payment. This is a trend that cannot continue. Today, the victim is Madame Rainier. Tomorrow, who knows who would be next? All businesses would suffer massive losses! Do we truly want this to pass? ” she said. Whispers permeated throughout the courtroom. “But fear not, for today, we shall put a stop to this utter madness! For I, Focalors, will get to the bottom of this during this very trial!”
Her words were met with applause. People sat down in their seats, eyeing Furina very eagerly. The defense looked quite nervous, while the prosecution was quite at ease.
With emotions so high, Furina couldn’t help but feel gratified. Perhaps this was merely a shoplifting case, but it would still rouse people’s excitement nonetheless.
A wave of guilt traveled into Furina’s mind. The defense unjustly but understandably felt more pressured after her speech. After all, she implied they were guilty, even if it was just for show. And even then, it was clear that the entire trial would have to be like this– how would she maintain justice and theatrics simultaneously?
She couldn’t wait for the gentleman her mirror self mentioned to arrive and help her make sense of everything. At least for now, however, things seemed to be under control.
In the shadows of the backstage, Furina could hardly make out her escort’s face. One thing she did see, however, was a smile wide enough to make her blush. She shyly turned back to the audience.
Perhaps the tentative visitor mentioned in her letter would help her maintain order. But at least when it came to a support system, she may already be covered.
Thanks so much for reading, and a special thanks to VarhomRuhmukia for beta reading this piece. New chapter will be coming out tomorrow.
And for the Neuvifuri fans out there... not to worry! Neuvillette is coming very soon.